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Empire of Pain: The Secret History of the Sackler Dynasty
New · Nonfiction, History, Biography

Empire of Pain: The Secret History of the Sackler Dynasty

by Patrick Radden Keefe
2021 · 535 pages · Nonfiction
74 New ★ 4.53 on Goodreads · 155K ratings
Critics' pick
≈ 13 hours to read · about 4 weeks at 30 minutes a day

Is it worth reading?

Baillie Gifford Prize winner (2021) and 1 more win. 4.53★ from 155K Goodreads ratings.

By the numbers

74Must-Read Score
  • Readers96 out of 100 · counts 40%+44
  • Critics65 out of 100 · counts 32% (its stronger lane)+23
  • Bestseller19 out of 100 · counts 14%+3
  • Buzz23 out of 100 · counts 15%+4

Critics and Bestseller are two ways to earn a place: a book's stronger one counts more. Buzz rewards recent bestseller weeks and prizes, so older books start at zero.

Where it ranks

Won

Shortlisted

Reads as

True story, Gripping, Dark

How we rank

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More by Patrick Radden Keefe

Say Nothing: A True Story of Murder and Memory in Northern Ireland
Say Nothing: A True Story of Murder and Memory in Northern IrelandPatrick Radden Keefe

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